The present invention relates broadly and generally to fireplace installations in homes and the like, used for the burning of wood, coal, etc., and wherein heat from the open fireplace hopefully radiates or migrates into the room, and with undesired products of combustion vented through chimneys, passage being partly controllable by dampers operable to vary the flue opening in the chimney.
The efficiency of fireplaces, especially of the type containing an open fire with no heat directing and/or forcing means is quite low, and to a large extent the so called "warmth" derived from an open fire in a fireplace resides in visual pleasure of watching the flames, and the actual heat obtained by the observer depends to a large extent on proximity to the fire itself, due to low outward heat radiation.
In addition, low efficiency of fireplace fires is in part due to heat rise losses, in that heat created in a fireplace vents upwardly through the chimney, and further, when burning, the fire also tends to draw air from the surrounding area or room, heated air therein being likewise vented. When fire in a fireplace is extinguished with the damper still being open, this flow of heated air from the room continues.
The present invention is directed to improvements relating to fireplaces in general, and as normally constructed and installed in homes and other structures. More particularly, the invention is concerned with improvements over known attempts for increased efficiency in such units.